MyPE

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New child restraint law complements UN’s safety week

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Dear MyPE

As we acknowledge the UN’s Global Road Safety week, the decision to pass a new law to ensure that children are safe on our roads must be commended.

The amended new child restraint law in South Africa states: The driver of a motor vehicle operated on a public road shall ensure that a child seated on a seat of the motor vehicle uses an appropriate child restraint.

The MEC for Transport, Weziwe Tikana, must ensure that the R460 million allocated to scholar transport is used to transport all scholars to school even the 60 000 pupils that are not currently being transported. The MEC and her department must ensure that the new operators’ vehicles are roadworthy and are fitted with seatbelts.

We urge the MEC to ensure that this law is strictly enforced and that law enforcement officers are visible on the roads and monitor the situation closely. We need a 24-hour traffic service to ensure that this law is fully adhered to.

The damage caused during an accident where seatbelts are not worn can be likened to the damage caused to a watermelon that hits the windscreen at 60 kilometres per hour.

We advise all parents to ensure that their vehicles are equipped with seatbelts and that children are buckled up before driving off. We cannot afford to lose any more children on our roads.

Regards

Marshall von Buchenroder

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Port Elizabethan

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